Member of Parliament Omar Ottley, representing United People’s (UP) party.
PHILIPSBURG--United People’s (UP) party Member of Parliament (MP) Omar Ottley is calling on Prime Minister Dr. Luc Mercelina to “stop playing semantics” and focus on the real financial pressures facing the people of St. Maarten, following the Prime Minister’s recent comments on double taxation of fuel.
In a statement released today, MP Ottley said, “The Prime Minister’s own words prove my point – by admitting that the fuel is taxed once at wholesale and again at the pump. He is confirming what every driver in St. Maarten already knows: the government is double-dipping on fuel.”
Mercelina had attempted to dismiss claims of double taxation, saying that there is no such burden on N.V. GEBE’s energy production. However, in doing so, he acknowledged that “fuel sold to gas stations is taxed at the point of sale and again at the consumer level.”
Ottley said this statement inadvertently confirms the core of his argument. “Whether government lawyers prefer to label these as ‘separate taxable events’ does not change the fact that ordinary citizens are paying turnover tax (TOT) twice before the fuel even powers their vehicles or homes,” he said.
He further accused Mercelina of trying to distract from the main issue by focusing on GEBE’s exemption. “My statements were never about GEBE. They were about SOL and other suppliers, who pass TOT to government when selling fuel to gas stations, only for the government to apply TOT again when consumers fill their tanks.”
Ottley stressed that this tax structure inflates fuel prices across the board, placing further strain on families, small businesses, and workers. “Instead of explaining why households are still waiting for the relief the government promised by July 2025, the Prime Minister is hiding behind wordplay. People do not care about ‘taxable events.’ They care that their energy bills and fuel costs keep climbing while the government does nothing to ease the strain.”
He challenged the government to conduct an independent audit of the fuel supply chain “from importer to gas station to consumer” to determine whether double taxation exists. If confirmed, Ottley said government must act to correct the situation and offer retroactive relief.
“The people of St. Maarten deserve more than political distractions and legal gymnastics. They deserve leaders who will confront the truth and deliver the relief you promised,” Ottley said.
